Policy information sourced from the Guildford Local Plan: Strategy and Sites

E9: Local Centres and isolated retail units

The role of Local Centres will be supported as the focus for local communities in providing for their everyday shopping and service needs. Proposals for residential use of upper floors add to the liveliness of centres, and will be considered positively.

The following areas, as shown on the Policies Map, are designated as Local Centres. For each, the boundary of the Primary Shopping Area is the same as the boundary of that Centre.

The 14 urban Local Centres are:

  • Aldershot Road, Westborough
  • Collingwood Crescent, Boxgrove
  • Kingpost Parade, London Road, Burpham
  • Epsom Road, Merrow
  • Kingfisher Drive, Merrow
  • Madrid Road, Guildford Park
  • Southway, Park Barn
  • Stoughton Road, Bellfields
  • The Square, Onslow Village
  • Woodbridge Hill, Guildford
  • Woodbridge Road, Guildford
  • Worplesdon Road, Stoughton
  • Ash Vale Parade, Ash
  • The Street, Tongham.

The seven rural Local Centres are:

  • Bishopsmead Parade, East Horsley
  • Effingham
  • Fairlands
  • Jacobs Well
  • Send
  • Shalford
  • Shere.

When developed, the new local centres that are planned to be built at the strategic sites of:

  • Gosden Hill (site allocation A25);
  • Blackwell Farm (site allocation A26); and
  • the former Wisley Airfield (site allocation A35)

will be treated as Local Centres within the context of this plan, and their location and boundaries designated in the next Local Plan review.

Proposals for new retail and main town centre uses

In order to strengthen the liveliness and economic resilience of the borough’s Local Centres, proposals for retail and other main town centre uses consistent with the scale and function of that centre will be supported. Where no suitable sites are available within the centre, sites on the edge of designated centres will be considered. We will not apply this sequential approach to small-scale development proposals for main town centre uses in rural areas.

Retail and leisure development proposals over 500 sq m (gross) which are not located in a local centre, district centre, or Guildford Town Centre, and where the site is not allocated for the proposed use must be supported by a retail impact assessment.

Proposals for loss of A1 retail and other Class A uses

Within the Local Centres shown on the Policies Map, proposals for change of use of an A1 retail use at ground floor to another A Class use will be permitted where all of the following criteria are met:

  • the proposal will not result in a concentration of such uses that would be harmful to the local centre’s vitality and viability and
  • the proposal will not result in loss of amenity in terms of noise, disturbance, smell, litter or traffic generation and
  • the proposal will not prejudice the character and appearance of the local centre and its immediate environment.

Exceptionally a proposed change of use of an A1 retail unit at ground floor level to a non-A use will be permitted, subject to criteria (8) (a)-(c), where the proposed use is a suitable ground floor main town centre use and requires a shopfront.

The loss of either

  • a shop or service unit (within Use Class A1) within a Local Centre that provides for everyday needs, or
  • an isolated Use Class A1 retail unit that provides for everyday needs

will only be acceptable if evidence is provided of active and comprehensive marketing of the site for its current use for a minimum of 12 months prior to submission of a planning application.

Proposals for change of use from non-retail Class A uses (A2, A3, A4, and A5) at ground floor level to a suitable ground floor main town centre use will be permitted subject to meeting both of criteria (8)(b) and (c) above.

Residential and offices within the B1 Use Class are not considered to be suitable main town centre uses for the ground floor level of a Local Centre.

For more information please see the Local Plan